‘Bad to worse’: tragedy unfolds in Brazil as coronavirus threatens Latin America
- Brazil confirms 1,179 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours, a new daily record
- Worse likely ahead with the peak there not expected until early June
As Brazil solidifies its status as the world’s new coronavirus hotspot with another record day for infections and deaths, the nation’s disjointed response is fuelling concern that the worst is yet to come.
There’s no health minister after two officials who occupied the top post left following clashes with President Jair Bolsonaro, who has dismissed efforts to slow the disease’s spread. Only about 800 of the 15,000 ventilators bought by the federal government have been distributed due to problems with logistics. Sao Paulo, the epicentre of cases and the country’s financial hub, announced a last-minute, six-day public holiday after plans to restrict traffic flopped, sowing confusion among businesses and workers. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said he’s considering a ban on Brazilians travelling to the US.
In the past few days, Brazil has overtaken Spain, Italy and the UK and now trails only Russia and the US in confirmed Covid-19 infections. The latest data show 271,628 people have tested positive, and almost 18,000 deaths from the disease – numbers that don’t reflect the true scope of the outbreak given a widespread lack of testing.
The pandemic appears to be gaining pace rapidly in Brazil, and experts say the peak there is not expected until early June.
On Tuesday, Brazil reported 17,408 new confirmed cases and 1,179 deaths registered over the previous 24 hours – both records.
Bolsonaro remains bitterly opposed to lockdowns, having described them as unnecessary over a “little flu”.
“Our country is going from bad to worse, it is getting worse,” said retiree Gilberto Ferreira in Rio de Janeiro. “We have an inefficient government, and the people also do not obey the rules of the pandemic.”